Assigkktqb to ejsttebpsise railway



May 15, 1923.

A. CAMPBELL DUMP CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Jan. 50 1922 figg May 1 5, 1923.

DUMP CAR Original Filed Jan.

A. CAMPBELL 2 Sheets-Shes?, P.

Patented May l5, 19.55.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARG-YLE CAMPBELL. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'QR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPAN', F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, l. CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

DUMP CAR.

Application filed. January 30, 1922,

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, iine'rnn Cnairnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois7 have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dump Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in dump cars.

In the general service type of dump car,

l it is customary to employ v16 pivoted side dump floor doors, eight on each side of the center sill and extending the full length of the car, together ivith door mechanisms for the doors which are relatively expensive. The general practice in such door mechanisin'is to employ tivo shafts on each side of the car, one shaft for four doors, with which are required appropriate lowering and lifting devices for each of the doors. ln the general service type of car, the dumping capacity is approximately 99%.

One object of my invention is to provide a car which is very materially cheaper to manufacture than a strictly true general service car of the same size and capacity, particularly as regards the door operating mechanisms, and the cost of the doors and fittings therefor, While at the same time adapting the car for general service use,

vand in Which approximately 87% of the load may be dumped.

Another object of the invention is t0 provide a car of the general service character, but in Which the number of doors is materially reduced, accompanied'by only a comparatively slight reduction in the dumping rating of the car.

Other objects of the invention relate to certain improvements in means for locking the doors in closed position and means for limiting the opening movements of the doors.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l. is a top plan view of a dump car showing my improvements. slightly more than one-halt the length of the car being illustrated. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional View corresponding substantially to the sec- Serial No. 532,734-,

tion line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational vieiv illustrating one of the improved door locking devices or latches. 5 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding to the section line 5 5 f Fig. ll. And vFig. 6 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the section line 6-6 of llig. o.

In said drawings, the car is shown as pro` vided With an underframe comprising a ridge shaped center sill 10, cross members, or diaphragms, or needle beams 11 and 12, angle iron side sills 13, side Walls 111, side stakes 15, diagonal braces 16, transversely extending cover plates 17 over the cross members and longitudinally extending cover plates or boards 18 over the center sill.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 8, it will be noted that the bottom of the car is flat throughout and is composed 0f alternated, fined floor sections A and drop bottom doors B. In Fig. 1, slightly more than one-half of the car is shown, from which will be observed that I provide four doors on each side of the car alternated with four fixed floor sections. Referring still to Figs. 1 and 3, it Will be noted that the lifted floor sections A. on one side of the center sill. are transversely opposite the floor doors B on the other side of the center sill so that the bottom of the car may be described as composed of alternated and staggered fixed :door sections and pivoted doors.

lli-is shown in Fig. the Hoor doors B are pivoted along their inner edges as indicated at 19 to suitable hinge butts preferably attached to the center sill, or to the latter and the cross members of the underframe. Each of the doors B preferably consists of a plurality of longitudinally extending boards or planks secured together on the upper sides b v a plurality of plates or straps 20, and braced on the underside by a pair of transversely extending beams 21h21. Each of the latter, at the outer free edge of the door, downwardly deflected as indicated at Q1 and then. extends outwardly horizon tally as indicated at 21b beyond the plane of the side Wall 14, for the purposes hereinafter described.

By staggering and alternating the doors and hired floor sections as above described,

l am enabled to reduce the number of doors to one-halt as compared with the usual general service car, thereby reducingthe cost ot manufacture, inasmuch as l eliminate one-halt ot the door hinges, door braces and straps, and the cost ot the door operating mechanism is correspondingly reduced. In this connection it will, ot course, be understood by those skilled in the art that the cost ot a fixed Jdoor section is very much less than that ot a door because Ot the absence et the door fittings, and the labor required in assembling` thedoor.

A Although in my improved car l reduce the .number of floor doors to one-halt as compared with the usual `@general service car, nevertheless, the decrease in dimming capacity or rating,` is very much less and, ,in tact, so small as to not interfere with the efficient use of the car as a general service car'. The reason why the dumping capacity or rating,` is not reduced in proportion to the reduction in the number oit doors will be better understood from reference to Fig. l where it will be noted that l have indicated 2 lines m-y/ and -Mo over one ot the tixed floor sections A. Then two doors on the opposite sides of a lixed tloor section ou the same side of the center sill are opened, not only will the load immediately above the doors be discharged, but a considerable percent-,age oit the load ov-r the intervening fixed floor section will be discharged to each side in the case ot ordinary loads in bulk, such as sand, gravel, stone, coal and the like. Furthermore, when the floor door transversely opposite the fixed floor section is opened, another portion of the load over the tixedi'loor section will be discharged to the opposite side ot tie car, thereby leaving only a very small percentage ott the original load over the lixed floor section in the car, which is required to be shoveled out. The lines -y/ and :o o indicate approximately and diagrrammatically the outline of the portion ot the load which would be lett on the fixed `floor section, it being` understood that the remaining pile slopes downwardly trom the line m-7/ to the ri ght, and from the line x--e to the lett and between the lines m-y/ and downwardly toward the center ot the car. For average bulk loads, the decrease in dumping` capacity or rating; will bc approximately 'from 99% tor the strictly true general service `type ot car to apirnfoximately 87% in my improved car.

, In my improved type ot car, as illustrated, certain oit the 'floor doors will come over the truclrs and, therefore, it is desirable to limit the downward movement thereot in opening" so as to avoid having the doors strike the wheels or trucks, lt is also 'desirable to limit'the opening movement of allot the doors to prevent the saine tallilid adainst other v arts ot the car or attachments on the underitraine, or dragging on the roadbed. l'41 or this purpose l have shown a very simple and inexpensive arrangement which is! best illustrated in ll ils will be clear from the preceding description considered in connection with the drawings, each door extends from one needle beam to the next ladjacent needle beam or cross member. eneath each door l locate longitudinally extendingv` bar preferably composed ol wood on account o'i' its yielding' 'qualities to lessen the shocks when the door strikes it, Each ot said bars 22 is supported at its ends by means oit a ll-shaped strap 23 shaped to snugly lit and receive the bar 22, the upper ends of the side arms ot the strap beingA twisted at right angles to the bottom central portion, as indicated at 28a-23, and the latter in turn being riveted or otherwise rigidly sccured to the adjacent needle beam or cross member ll. lt is a common practice to malte the cross members ot a car under- `traine in the `torni ot steel pressings with Aflanges on one side thereof. 'llo lessen the expense and avoid dilliculties in the attachment ot straps 2?, l arrange the flanges ot the cross members lll and l2 on the saine side ot the car alternately, that is, the two pressed cross .members on the opposite `sides ot a. pivoted door have their vflanges turned away trom each other, thereby `leavingl a peiliectli,Y flat side adjacent the door to have attached thereto the straps 23. The flanges ot the pressed cross men bers will, therefore, extend inwardly or toward the tired tloor sections in every instance, this being' clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the tlannje on the cross member ll at the lett hand side t the center sill is on 'the tar side'whereas the Aflange ot the cross member l2 on the right hand side oit the center sill is on the near side viewed in said Figure.

llreterablv the bars 22 are providedvwith suitable hardened wear plates 2li on their upper sides in line with the door braces 2l so that wear on the bars is minimized; and the shoclr is transmitted to the door through the braces ll. Thcstop arrangement which l have shown is morey or less resilient, is cmcient in operationA` superior to the usual angled 'flange employed tor a similar purpose, and the strap attachment permits ot the doors heine1 stopped at any desired point, it beingr evident that the straps are extended below the bottoni ednjcs o'l the cross members or diaphragljms. lt will also be noted that the straps are placed so as to extend at right angles to the plane et the door when the latter is in its opened position1 thus placingl the strap purely under tension and rendering it most eliicicnt. i order to eliminate the use ot expensive shafts and the usual flexible door raising' and lowering devices, lA employ locking,r

latches, two ior each door as shown in Fig. 2. rlhe details of one of said latches, which are arranged right and lett so as to swing toward each other as clearly shown in Fig. 2, are best illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and G. Each oit `said locking devices comprises, broadly, a bracket or support C; a lever .latch D; and a locking cam E.

The bracket C, preferably a casting, is provided with a main back Wall or web 30, Which, when the bracket is in position, bears against and is secured to the side wall structure of the car as by a series of three rivets l--SL To provide a housing` and also to prevent outwarrfl bending or movement ol the latch and locking cam, the bracket C is 'formed with an outer Wall or Web 32 united to the main Wall or Web 30 by flanges and 34. The contour of the web or Wall 32 isirregular and preferably ot the outline shown best in Fig. 4. The latch` and locking cam are'housed between the Walls or ivebs 50 and 32, the swinging movement oit the lever latch D in a closing: or operative direction being limited by said 33, as shown in Fig. 6. The swinging movement ot the cam E to its inopifative position, is likewise limited by the same engi ing the flange 84.

I have provided a ynovel and efficient means for pivotally supporting; the latl h and cam. ln the back Wall or web El) olf the bracket C, are provided depressions or circular recesses and 36, the back Wall at these points being thickened to allow for said recesses 35 and 36 Without weakening the casting. rifhe recesses 35 and 36 accommodate the heads 37 of heavy pivot pins 38 and 39 tor the latch and cani respectively, the shanks et said pins being extended horizontally outnf'ardly through alined openings in said baclr Wall 8() and outer Wall 82 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. In this man- .ner the pivotpins 38 and 39 are positively held against displacement ailiter the lockingy device is in positiom inasmuch as the heads el the pins are confined between the bracket and the adjacent Fixed portions et the car structure. lith this arrangement, the pins are stronger and less subject to bending; and shear than it the same iverc extended entirely through the ln'aclzet into the side Wall structure ot the car. The latch lever l) is torined with a shank having the upper portion thereoiE 40 slopbngA downwardly and troni its pivotal support toward the opposite latch ol' the same set, the loiver portion oit the shank as indicated at 4l extending; vertically when the latch is in operative position. At the bottom oil the shank, is "formed a bearing;` or locking tace 42 which is curved on a relatively long radius about center eccentric to the axis of the pivotal connection of the latch so that said curved bearing Jface 42 when it is pushed home against a corresponding curved bearing face 45 provided on the bottom of a block 44 secured to the outer end 2lb of the door brace, will have a Wedging effect in pushing the door to hilly closed position. It ivill also be noted that the shank of the latch D is of vright angular cross-section with one i'lange extending,` in planes transverse of the car and the other or outer -flange extending parallel to the car and overlapping the end of the door brace and block 44 When in operative position.

The locking cam E is ot the usual type, having` a cam surface adapted to engage with a dat surface 4G on the portion 4l) ol' the shank of the latch lever.

is will be understood by those skilled in the art, the doors are adapted to be lifted bhv hand or by means oit a suitable lever engaged With a soclet or bracket on the underside et the door and lifted to closed position. is the doors approach their closed position, the projecting ends 2lb engage the beveled lower ends 47 of the latch levers D thereby pushing the latter so as to clear the extensions 2lb until the latter are su'tliciently elevated `lor the locking faces 42 of the latch levers to swing under the locking iliacesv 43 under the influence oft gravity.

llilith my arrangement ol loclringr latches,

it is evident that the expense orpthe door opointing means is very materially reduced as compared with prior arrangements, comnenly employed on general service cars, so hat this reduction of the expense in cononction with the reduced cost oi the doors and tittings, makes the entire car an extrennly inexpensive one to manufacture.

l have herein shown and described What l now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. A dump car having a flat bottom, the said 'dat bottom on each side ot the center hay' alternated floor doors and fixed 'floor sections, the doers on one side ot the car beine; transversely opposite the iXed floor sections on the other side of the car.

2. A dump car having a flat bottoni, said dat bottom having; alternated and staggered door doors and fixed floor sections. Y

3. er dump car having; a flat bottom comn posed entirely oil' alternated tloor doors and fined floor sections on each side of the eenu ter, tbe doors on one side oil the center being; transversely opposite the fixed floor sec-- tions on the other side of the center.

4. A. dump ear havingP a flat bottom, said flat bottom having side dump floor doors pivoted at the center sill, the doors being separated by fixed floor sections and the doors on one side of the center being)r transversely opposite the ixed floor sections on the other side olf the center.

5. A dump ear having a liat bottom oomposed entirely of alternated, pivoted side dump doors and iixed floor sections, the doors on one side of the center of the car being transversely opposite the fixed floor sections on the other side of the center.

6. In a dump car? the combination with ank under-frame comprising a center sill and cross-members; of a side dump floor door, pivoted along its inner edge at, the center sill; and means for limiting the opening movement of said door, including, a bar beneath the door and extending lengthwise of the car from one cross member to the next adjacent cross member.

7. In adump car, the combination with an underframe comprising a center sill and cross members; of a side dump floor door, pivoted along its inner edge at the center sill; means for limiting the opening move ment of said door, including, a bar beneath the door and extending lengthwise of the car from one cross member to the next ad- `jacent cross member; and means for supporting said bar from and below the cross member comprising straps secured to the cross members and extending downwardly therefrom.

8. `In a dump car, the combination with an underframe comprising a center sill and cross members; of a side dump floor door, pivoted along its inner edge at the center sill; means for limiting the opening moverientr oi said door, including, a bar beneath the door and extending lengthwise of the car from one cross member to the next adjacent cross member; and means for support- I mg said bar from and below the cross members comprising straps of U-shape having the ends of the arms thereof secured to the cross members said strapsextending downwardly from the cross members at an angle -sill said door havin@f bracinofbeams on the underside thereof' extending from the inner pivoted edge to the outer free edge of the door and a longitudinally extending barbeneath the door, engageable by the undersides oi" said bracing beams to limit the opening movements olli the door.

l0. In a dump car7 the combination with an underframe comprising a center sill and cross members; oi' a side dump floor door pivoted along its` inner edge at the center sill; U-shaped straps secured t0 and depending from the cross members on each side of the door; and a wood bar supported at its ends in said straps andpextending lengthwise oi the car and adapted to limit the opening movement Of the door. y

1l. A dump car having side and end walls and a bottom, said bottom having alternated and staggered dumping doors and fixed licor sections.'

l2. In a dump car, the combination with an nnderframe having a center sill and cross members; of a dump floor door pivoted .along one of its edges; and means for limiting the opening movement of said. door including a bar beneath the door and extending parallel to the pivotal axis of the door and se` cured at its ends to xed portions of the car underframe.

In witness that I'claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this .7th day of January, 1922.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL. 

